When Jack visited the Hoffs/Drawlar Funeral Parlor, the casket was closed. The funeral director informed him that he was the only one to come to the viewing. He then asked Jack if he was friend or family of the deceased; Jack replied that he was "neither." When asked if he wanted the casket opened, Jack said no, and the director left. Jack laid a hand on the casket, appearing deeply saddened. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") He later broke into the parlor and opened the casket, revealing that the person in the coffin was John Locke, under the alias of "Jeremy Bentham". ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

Later, Ben and Jack stole the casket from the funeral parlor. They loaded the coffin into Ben's van and drove off. ("Because You Left") Later, Ben transported John's casket to a "safehouse", leaving it with Jill at her butchery. ("The Lie") A few days later, Ben sent Jack to retrieve the coffin from Jill so that they could bring Locke aboard Flight 316 in place of Christian. Jack, upon arrival, replaced Locke's shoes with a pair of Christian's and placed Locke's suicide note in his jacket pocket, remarking that he had "heard everything you (Locke) have to say". Jack then took the coffin to the airport and checked it on the plane. ("316") When Flight 316 crashed on the Island later on, Locke was seemingly resurrected. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham") Shortly after, Ilana and Bram came across the coffin and discovered the body of the real John Locke within. They placed the body in a metal crate in order to show Richard and the Others that the "resurrected" Locke was in fact someone else. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Producer's comment

On December 7, 2007, executive producer Carlton Cuse confirmed that the person in the coffin is a character that the audience has seen before. [1]

Production notes

Two alternate versions of the reveal were shot, showing Desmond and Sawyer in the coffin. Both clips were shown on the Friday, May 30, 2008 broadcast of Good Morning America, and can also been seen here: [2]